The baseball that carried Ichidai San High School Baseball Team's final hopes began to fall from the sky.
It dropped toward a relatively remote area of the field.
Under normal circumstances, a ball hit to this spot had a very high probability of becoming a hit.
Players and supporters of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team all stared at the descending ball, hardly daring to blink.
They desperately hoped the baseball would touch the ground and bounce away.
Even though there were already two outs, Hoshida was batting.
As long as this ball landed safely, Ichidai San High School Baseball Team would once again have a chance to continue their offense.
Perhaps it wouldn't be enough to overturn the score.
Perhaps they wouldn't suddenly explode for a big inning.
But even scoring one or two runs would still deal a heavy psychological blow to Tanba of Seido High School Baseball Team.
Everyone knew Tanba's biggest weakness—
Once his rhythm was disturbed, his condition could fluctuate greatly.
If they could shake him now, maybe everything afterward would become different.
Even if that forced Seido to send Zhou Hao back to the mound earlier than planned, Ichidai San High School Baseball Team was willing to accept it.
At the very least, it would prove one thing:
Only Zhou Hao himself could truly suppress them.
However—
Just as their hopes rose,
A figure had already appeared beneath the ball's landing point.
Someone was waiting there.
Instantly, the hearts of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team's players sank.
This was a terrible sign.
Their final chance.
Gone?
Eyes wide, they stared at that figure, disbelief surging in their minds.
In such a remote location…
Who could possibly judge the landing point so accurately in advance?
When they finally saw the person clearly, a chill swept through their entire bodies.
It was him.
Zhou Hao.
Tall and straight, standing calmly beneath the falling baseball.
For Seido High School Baseball Team's supporters—and for Zhou Hao's fans—
There was nothing surprising about this scene.
In their hearts, Zhou Hao had long become synonymous with omnipotence.
As long as the ball was within his defensive range,
It simply could not escape.
"Hah! You country bumpkins who haven't seen the world!"
"This is the strength of the nation's number one!"
The cheers from Seido's stands rang out triumphantly.
Zhou Hao's dominance was not limited to pitching.
The more people understood him,
The more clearly they realized just how terrifyingly complete he was.
On the field—
Zhou Hao lifted his glove calmly.
The baseball dropped neatly inside.
"Pop!"
"Out!!"
Three outs.
Side retired.
In Seido High School Baseball Team's dugout, the second- and third-year players fell into brief silence.
Compared to ordinary fans, they understood Zhou Hao's growth better than anyone.
They had witnessed every step of his transformation.
"When he first joined the team, aside from that Spiral Ball, he really didn't have many outstanding strengths."
Chris spoke while flipping through his well-worn notebook.
"In terms of data and physical measurements—he's completely different now."
"He's gained nearly ten kilograms of muscle."
"And he's grown about five centimeters taller."
"Compared to when he first entered the First String…"
"He's basically a new person."
No one questioned Chris's words.
If anyone in Seido was the most authoritative when it came to information, it was him.
"Last year's Zhou Hao was already strong," someone muttered.
"And he never stopped improving."
"With his physical growth on top of that…"
Even as teammates, they couldn't help but feel a chill.
Let alone Ichidai San High School Baseball Team.
On the other side of the field, Ichidai's players stared at Zhou Hao as if they were looking at something beyond common sense.
"Zhou Hao…"
"It's Zhou Hao again."
Even without stepping onto the mound,
His presence alone felt suffocating.
Standing on the field, he was like an invincible God of War.
"What… are we supposed to do?"
Faced with an opponent who had surpassed their understanding,
They couldn't imagine how to fight.
Couldn't imagine how to win.
The score was still 6:2.
The game entered the seventh inning.
This wasn't the largest deficit Ichidai San High School Baseball Team had ever faced.
They had fallen behind by more before.
But never—
Never had they felt such deep despair.
Whether it was Seido High School Baseball Team,
Or Zhou Hao himself,
They simply couldn't see a path to victory.
By the seventh inning,
Ichidai San High School Baseball Team was mentally stunned.
They didn't even know how to continue playing.
Top of the Seventh Inning — Seido's Offense
"Yehahaha!"
Kuramochi was the first to step into the batter's box, eyes burning with excitement.
His sharp instincts told him one thing clearly—
Ichidai San High School Baseball Team was shaken.
And that was exactly what he liked to see.
Kuramochi had never believed in giving opponents time to recover.
As long as it didn't break the rules—
As long as it helped Seido win—
Everything else was meaningless.
The more unstable the opponent,
The greater his chance to wreak havoc.
"Sorry about this, new Ace…"
Kuramochi's gaze locked onto the pitcher's mound like a predator.
"I'm going to smash your pitch mercilessly."
The Coach and players of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team were not fools.
Even if they had not personally experienced the pressure Kuramochi brought on the field, they could easily guess what he intended to do.
He was itching to act.
"Amahisa boy, it's all up to you now!"
With no better option in mind, Tahara could only place his hopes on his pitcher.
The moment that thought surfaced, Tahara himself was startled.
According to his original plan, he should have sent Manaka—their true Ace—back onto the mound.
In a moment like this, a battle of life and death, the Ace should bear responsibility.
It was both a test and an opportunity for growth.
Even if the final result was a crushing defeat, it could still become the fuel that forged a great pitcher.
Of course, there was also the risk of a pitcher being completely crushed.
But competitive sports had never been gentle.
To obtain glory, one had to move forward regardless of the cost.
Yet in the end, Tahara did not make the change.
This alone proved how much Amahisa Kousei's status within Ichidai San High School Baseball Team had risen.
Even with their third-year Ace still present,
Amahisa already possessed the qualifications to compete with Manaka.
From a purely personal standpoint, this appearance alone had already been a huge success for him.
But Amahisa was clearly not satisfied.
Facing Kuramochi, he immediately fired an inside fastball.
This instantly shattered Kuramochi's plan to drag the battle into a long duel.
He could only watch as the baseball zipped past him.
Then another one followed.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
By the third pitch, Kuramochi's patience was gone.
He swung with full force, trying to blast the ball into the stands.
Unfortunately, Amahisa's slider broke more sharply than ever.
Kuramochi swung through empty air.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!!"
One out, no runners on base.
For Seido High School Baseball Team's supporters, this was not the result they wanted to see.
But reality did not care about their wishes.
"This guy's pitching got even sharper."
"Yeah… it's not just our team. Other schools also have monsters appearing one after another."
The first-year players watching from the stands were deeply shaken.
In earlier games, Seido High School Baseball Team had always crushed their opponents.
That made many first-years believe that even if they were thrown into the lineup, the outcome wouldn't change much.
Victory would still belong to Seido.
But now, that illusion was gone.
Even Seido's powerful seniors could be forced into helpless situations.
If they were the ones standing on the field…
Could they really carry the team to victory?
The answer was obvious.
Not yet.
"I'll definitely become a regular!"
"And I'll become the team's Ace!!"
Sawamura Eijun shouted with blazing eyes.
No matter how many obstacles lay in front of his dream,
he would charge straight through them.
Beside him, a young boy with bangs covering his eyes and a childish face smiled.
"That's the spirit."
Since they had chosen to come to Seido High School Baseball Team,
they should have been prepared for hellish competition.
No matter how terrifying the road ahead,
they had to grit their teeth and walk through it—
Until they carved out their own path.
Some of the other first-years felt these words sounded arrogant.
Yet strangely,
no one could refute them.
After the strikeout, Seido High School Baseball Team's second batter stepped into the box.
The devil batter, Kominato Ryosuke.
This time, he fought Amahisa through three consecutive pitches.
Compared to their first encounter, he had clearly adapted to Amahisa's pitches.
On the mound, Amahisa watched as his balls were repeatedly fouled off.
Shock filled his heart.
"Seido's starters really are troublesome…"
This exchange was even tougher than he had expected.
It was only their second meeting,
yet the opponent was already starting to read his slider.
"I have to show more than this!"
Amahisa muttered to himself.
In truth, it was nothing more than self-encouragement.
But every time he said it,
he felt strength surging out from deep within.
Now—
It was time to unleash it.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball tore through the air.
The moment Kominato saw it, his eyes widened.
Slider!
Knowing what was coming, Kominato decided not to prolong the battle.
Amahisa's slider was too dangerous.
Even if he had begun adapting,
he didn't believe he could foul off every single one.
So he chose to attack.
"Ping!"
The bat struck the ball.
The baseball flew about forty meters, then dropped and bounced.
An Ichidai outfielder was already waiting.
"I was read…"
Kominato realized it instantly.
Before he reached first base, the ball was back.
"Pop!"
"Out!"
Two outs, no runners on base.
Hope surged in the hearts of Ichidai San High School Baseball Team's players.
Then—
Seido High School Baseball Team's third batter stepped up.
"Third batter, number one, pitcher—Zhou Hao!"
Zhou Hao entered the batter's box for the fourth time.
The stands fell silent.
"It's… Zhou Hao again?"